USA

Replica of the Eiffel Tower, Paris Las Vegas, Las Vegas

Las Vegas (the Meadows or grassland) was a name given by the Spaniards who used water in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In the 1800.s areas of Las Vegas Valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas or meadows.John Freemont travelled into the valley in 1844 when it was still part of Mexico. He was a leader of a group of scientists, scouts and observers for the U S Army Corps.In 1855 following the annexation to the U S, Brigham Young sent 30 Mormon missionaries to convert the Paiuti Indian population. A fort was built near the current down town area, serving as a stopover for travellers between Salt Lake City and a colony at San Bernardino, California.Las Vegas established itself as a railroad town in 1905 when 110 acres were sold off. Paris Las Vegas is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment. The theme is Paris, with a scale model of the Eiffel Tower (540 foot tall), a neon sign in the shape of the Montgolfier Balloon, a scale replica of the Arc de Triomphe andf a replica of La Fontaine des Mers. The front of the building is in the style of the Louvre and the Paris Opera House. Work started on April 17th 1997 and opened September 1st 1999, costing $785 million. Paris Las Vegas has 2,915 rooms and covers 24 acres. It is linked to its sister property Bally's Las Vegas, via Le Boulevard, a French-style shopping district. Originally, the Eiffel Tower copy was intended to be a full scale replica but this was not possible due to the close proximity of McCarran International Airport. You can take elevators to the top of the tower, which is nearly fifty storeys above the ground. As Paris Las Vegas is located on the heart of the Strip you have great views from the observation deck which stands at 460 feet. In particular, the night time views of the city and the Bellagio Fountains are brilliant.